


Ice Cream Questions

by ElentariR



Series: Getting Back to Myself [21]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bonding, Fluff, Gen, Ice cream is life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 01:38:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15831099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElentariR/pseuds/ElentariR
Summary: "Mr. James... What do you do when you like a girl?"





	Ice Cream Questions

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Cole Swindell's "Remember Boys."  
> Also I'm just a fluffy sap. There's that, too.

“Mr. James?”

Bucky swallowed a generous spoonful of strawberry ice cream. He was glad he took Steven out, just the two of them, for a treat to celebrate the end of the school year. “What’s on your mind, kid?”

Steven frowned, lower lip between his teeth. Bucky had seen the same expression on Noelle’s face.

“What do you do when you like a girl?”

Bucky nearly choked on his ice cream. Of all the things Bucky could have imagined Steven asking him, _that_ was not one of them. He cleared his throat. “There a girl you fancy?”

Steven blushed.

Bucky smirked. He was out of his depth, but honored – and amused, listening to Steven’s mumbled denials. Girls were _gross_ , didn’t Mr. James know that? And Mom didn’t count because Mom wasn’t a girl – duh.

“What’s her name?” Bucky asked with a knowing smile when Steven quieted.

Steven nudged his ice cream with his spoon. “Emma,” he admitted reluctantly. He straightened. “But she’s not gross like other girls! I put my toy snake in her backpack and she didn’t squeal or _anything_ when she found it!”

“What did she do?”

Steven grinned. “She slapped me with it. Right on the face!” He emitted a dreamy sigh.

Bucky smothered a laugh. He nodded solemnly. “You’re right – she doesn’t sound like a gross girl.”

“She’s not,” Steven said earnestly. “So what do I do?”

“Well,” Bucky considered the question.

“How did you get Mom to like you?” Steven asked before Bucky could respond.

Bucky didn’t have the faintest idea how he got Noelle to like him. It just….happened. “I think _she_ got _me_ to like her.”

Steven frowned.

“But,” Bucky forged ahead. “I think I can still help you out.” He hoped he could. He desperately wanted to be a good father – and this was the conversation a good father would have with his son.

He couldn’t mess this up. He wouldn’t mess this up.

“Okay, so what do I do?”

“Well, always treat her like a lady, first and foremost. Remember that.”

Steven scrunched his nose. “How do I do that?”

Bucky smiled. “Like you treat your mom.”

“Lots of hugs.” Steven nodded, his thinking face firmly fixed.

Bucky’s eyes widened and immediately began to backtrack. “No, no. Well, yes, but not yet. Hugs come later, okay? A lot further down the road. She has to want hugs, too.”

“But then what do I do?” Steven scowled.

“You open the door for her. You tell her what you like about her. Compliment her. Like when she gets a good grade or does something nice. Let her go in front of you in the lunch line. Offer to help her – but listen if she says she doesn’t need help.”

“So...” Steven thought for a moment. “I should be nice to her.”

“That’s right.” Bucky nodded in approval. “Girls like to be treated nicely. And they like to know you’re thinking about them.”

“Mom likes it when I bring her flowers,” Steven said. His eyes questioned Bucky.

“Most girls like flowers. They’re pretty and it lets them know that you were thinking of them.” Bucky took another bite of ice cream. “But Emma might like something else, too.”

“Like what?”

Bucky shrugged. “You’d have to talk to her about that.”

Steven frowned slightly, looking down at his bowl. “That sounds like a lot of work.”

“It is,” Bucky said. “Relationships take work. But if it’s the right person, you won’t mind one bit.”

They ate ice cream in silence for a few minutes.

Steven spoke up quietly, “Maybe I could send her a letter. She likes to read.”

Bucky’s heart nearly burst with pride. “I think that’s an excellent idea. What do you think you would tell her?”

Steven paused to think. “Well… I would tell her about my Legos, ‘cause they’re cool. And I would tell her that my Mom is getting married and that I’ll have the coolest dad _ever_. Metal arm _and_ you catch bad guys!” Steven suddenly beamed. “I could ask her to marry me!”

Bucky gaped, but quickly schooled his features. “You should wait to propose until you know her better,” Bucky told him gently. “Marriage is for life. You want to make sure it’s the right person. Forever is a long, long time.”

Steven deflated.

“But,” Bucky continued. “I think telling her about your Legos and your Ma and me is great. And you could ask her what her summer plans are.”

Steven brightened. “Do you think Mom would let me invite her over?”

Bucky nodded. “I think she would. We can ask her when we get back. How’s that?”

“Awesome.” Steven nodded and munched happily on his ice cream.

Bucky studied Steven as he ate, certain that if he blinked, Steven would be full grown.

“I love you, kid.”

“I love you, too, Dad.”

 


End file.
